Same way the rest of us do: by getting a job at a different company

Reputation? Which, in itself, will lead to a new unaccountable hierarchy of mutual back-scratchers...

This is exactly the problem with excessively 'flat' organizational structures that seek to do away with hierarchy. You can't get rid of social power, you can only change how it's distributed.

Spreading it out more equitably among all employees sounds good until you realize that it makes decision making even more opaque: when everyone is responsible, nobody is.

there is still a hierarchy of important people that will always emerge. It's just much harder to see now. Once you impress these important people, you can have a raise.

> there is still a hierarchy of important people that will always emerge. It's just much harder to see now.

Indeed; and in fact it is now obligatory to mention the excellent Essay of ancient wisdom on the subject: The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm

Here's an article attempting to answer that: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-zappos-determines-salarie...

But from my reading it sounds like the truth is at least partly: by fudging it.